Prograis responds to Hooker wanting fight at 145

Regis Prograis and Maurice Hooker have had an on-going feud, since the Covid 19 pandemic broke out and let me catch everybody up to speed on this one.

Prograis-Hooker former Jr. Welterweight showdown was supposed to headline a fight card back in April in Oxon Hill, Maryland, on April 17th on DAZN in a fight an at a catchweight at 143 pounds. Like all significant fight cards scheduled around this time, the pandemic wiped this one off the board and was tentatively being rescheduled.

While respective promoters for each camp be haven been talking to DAZN about rescheduling the bout perhaps possibly for August, Hooker has made it clear that 143 pound catchweight isn’t going to work for him anymore.

“I don’t want to kill myself to make weight,” Hooker told BoxingScene.com in an interview on Thursday night. “The fight I had in December on the (Julio Cesar) Chavez Jr. card I struggled and couldn’t make 143. I don’t want to struggle no more making weight. I want to make weight comfortably and fight the next day. I don’t want to kill myself no more.”

The fight the former WBC champ at 140 Hooker is referring to is the one-round stoppage victory back in Phoenix, Arizona, where he beat late replacement, Uriel Perez.

“I would love to fight him, but I can’t make 143,” Hooker said. “I ain’t gonna lie to myself this time. I got to move up. I’d do 145. “I don’t want to struggle no more. I’m not afraid of him. I would love to fight him. I can beat him. I know I can beat him.

Prograis, of course, has gotten wind of this and responded.

Did he, ever.

Prograis Friday night on Youtube went on the offensive for the comments by Hooker and his trainer, Brian “Bo-Mac” McIntyre, and needless to say, he isn’t having it:

Regis Prograis – My thoughts on Mo Hooker and Bo Mac https://t.co/q4D5oiEPh8 via @YouTube

— Rougarou (@RPrograis) June 13, 2020

“I’m definitely pissed off about it, you know cuz like, and I know you’re gonna be watching this, you know, we don’t like each other,” Prograis said in the video.

“The fight was supposed to be at 140. My goal is to be a champion again at 140, so I don’t plan to go to 147 right now. That’s not my goal. My personal goal to be a champion at 140 before I move up to 147, so I’m not about to keep budging and s— like that, but we did the first time you know.”

“At first, we say it was gonna be at 140, and you’re like no, Bo-Mac said you can’t make the weight. It’ll take you three months to make 140. All right, the Coronavirus happened, it’s been three months now you even bigger, and I’m saying that you f——  got even more f—– time to make the s—and you even bigger now. So now, you even heavier, so this s— don’t make sense.”

Hooker in the story Thursday explained that at 31, the weight isn’t coming off like it used to.

“It’s not coming off fast like I want it to come off. I just don’t want to struggle for the last couple of pounds,” Hooker said. “I would have killed myself to make it (in April). Then this virus kicked in. I’ve been with my family, but I came back and been training three or four weeks, but the weight’s not coming off like I want it to come off.

Prograis responded to this in the video.

I just think you on some b—– p—– a– s—.  How are you gonna pull this? It don’t make no f—–sense. You had all the time in the world.  On top of that, you f—– make seven figures to fight. How you’re not professional enough to f—– stay in shape. I’ve been f—— shape. I’ve been training this whole time. I’ve been f—– training. I’m ready to make 140.”

So that’s where we are with this one. Will Hooker come down to 143 and budge off that 145? Will Prograis climb up even more from his 140?

Will this fight even happen now? Time will tell, but this all sounds like it’s off the boards for the time being.